president abdelaziz bouteflika was elected for the first time in 1999. he was re-elected in 2004 and 2009. bouteflika chose to deal with militant groups in two ways. he invited them to lay down their weapons to participate in rebuilding the nation. and at the same time, he continued cracking down on their activities. observers say this approach has gained broad support amongst public. >> translator: the government was afraid that negotiating with the kidnappers and making concessions could lead to a loss of legitimacy. so from the historical point of view and looking at the government's concerns about legitimacy, it was difficult to find any room for compromise. >>> prime minister abe says the japanese government will strengthen ties with the members of southeast asian nations to promote regional stability. he made the comments on his first trip abroad since taking office last month. japan and other countries are involved in maritime territorial disputes with china. >>> abe discussed china's growing presence in the south china sea. the chinese government